Honeymoon Over for Mexico’s President Peña Nieto
Since taking office four months ago, Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto and his subordinates have been working overtime to forge a more hopeful, less blood-tinged conversation about their country. But…
Illustrating Troubling Trend, Mexico Govt Seals Information
Mexico's authorities refused a freedom of information request for details on the country's drug cartels, further evidence that the Enrique Peña Nieto administration is trying to limit the public's understanding…
First Capital Command – PCC
The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) was inspired by the Red Command (Comando Vermelho). Both criminal organizations were formed by prisoners as self-protection groups in Brazil's…
Uruguay Begins Public Consultation Over Marijuana Legalization
Uruguay's government has launched a public awareness campaign to sway public opinion in favor of an initiative to legalize marijuana, in what it says is an attempt to reduce drug-related…
Paraguay Presidential Candidate Accused of Ties to Drug Trafficking
A Paraguayan human rights group has demanded prosecutors investigate the links between drug traffickers and Horacio Cartes, a man with a long history of murky ties to organized crime, who…
Leader of MS-13 Cell Arrested in Guatemala
Guatemalan authorities have captured the leader of a Mara Salvatrucha cell, amidst reports that the gang has grown increasingly sophisticated and centrally organized.
US Donates Aircraft to Bolivia Anti-Drug Fight
The United States has donated 12 aircraft to the Bolivian Air Force for use in counternarcotics operations, indicating that despite a rocky relationship, anti-drug cooperation between the two countries continues.
How Colombia’s Emerald Czar Outsmarted the Law
Colombia's famed "Emerald Czar," Victor Carranza, is dead of natural causes. As was clear when I interviewed him, Carranza, more than any other underworld figure in Colombia's history, knew how…
El Salvador to Seek US Truce Funding
El Salvador plans to ask the United States for funding assistance for the country's gang truce, pointing to the need for a thorough reinsertion scheme in order to make the…
FARC Letter Reveals Breakdown of Mining Extortion Rackets
A letter obtained by Colombian media has shed light on the extent to which the country's oldest guerrilla group, the FARC, extorts the mining industry.
In Honduras, World’s Deadliest City Reports Drop In Crime
The Honduran military and police claim that crime has fallen in San Pedro Sula, currently the most violent city in the world, though they offered vague and differing figures…
Mexico’s Blog del Narco Author Revealed as Young Woman
The author of one of Mexico's best-known websites documenting the country's drug violence has revealed her identity as a woman in her mid-20s.
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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …
InSight Crime – Ten Years of Investigating Organized Crime in the Americas
In early 2009, Steven Dudley was in Medellín, Colombia. His assignment: speak to a jailed paramilitary leader in the Itagui prison, just south of the city. Following his interview inside…
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